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Here’s why TPP-Trans Pacific Partnership won’t work!

In theory, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is supposed to close the gap between imports into the U.S. and exports being shipped to 3rd world countries, allowing more of our goods to be sold overseas.

As trade import/export history dictates, we have allowed countries to manufacture our goods and services for the last 40+ years while Americans have suffered economically. Why corporations chose to open up factories overseas to exploit cheap labor while expecting Americans to have disposable income to purchase said goods-and-services makes no sense to me, but it has become the Corporate American Way!

It suddenly dawned on the bean counters in Washington that our National Debt is built largely upon this trade imbalance, and when those goods are imported into our country, we issue exporting country an IOU. We have so many IOUs outstanding that the interest on the U.S. debt alone takes up 6% or about $225 Billion of our yearly budget.

So, TPP is supposed to create a way to ease the imbalance between the import/export Trade World.

Sounds great, right?

Well, not exactly. The problem is International Law. We cannot dictate, nor enforce, what any country does with XYZ, unless they agree to allow imports from the United States to be sold in their country.

Here’s the problem. Just because these countries agree to allow U.S. imports into their country, does not mean the Natives will purchase goods “Made in America.” We cannot (force) people in said country to pay more for a U.S. product.

If the same (competing) product is made in Taiwan, which happens to be one of 12 countries currently participating in the TPP, what makes you think Taiwanese will spend more for a U.S. made product?

Out of the 12 countries participating in TPP, China – Our biggest debtor, refused to sign-on, and with good reason. Why should China allow more U.S. imports into their country, when they make more money off of imports!

According to Google, China is currently our largest goods trading partner with $598 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2015. Goods “exported” to China totaled $116 billion; while goods “imported” totaled $482 billion. The U.S. goods Trade Deficit with China was $366 billion in 2015.

In other words, China imports “more” goods to the U.S. than they take from us! Without China participation in the TPP, the entire TPP Agreement makes absolutely no sense, and even if they did agree, how we are supposed to “enforce” a balanced import-to-export ratio?

This problem isn’t just limited to China, but every other country participating in TPP with the U.S. So what if a country breaches the TPP contract, the legal wrangling alone will cost more than the trade imbalance we’re so desperately trying to correct.

The website Alibaba, which just happens to be the Worlds largest on-line retailer of International Goods, has some of the most competitive prices for the same goods made here in the USA.

For example: A Canadian goose coat which uses Canadian Geese feathers, are imported to China. China manufacturers and assembles said Goose Coat. The retail price of this coat on Alibaba is $75/USD while the same U.S. manufactured coat costs $375/USD here.

Second Example: Our Government made an investment in a U.S. Solar Panel manufacturing company to create a Clean Energy platform. If each U.S. Solar Panel retails for, say $125 in America, but China can manufacture the same functioning Solar Panel for, say, $49., which Solar panel do you think Americans will buy?

This is the problem TPP. Since Corporations argue that Salaries and Operating Costs are higher in the U.S., they chose the cheap labor route to save money on manufacturing, but forgot about reinvesting in American workers in the process.

It is this betrayal of U.S. Corporations that created this imbalance in the first place. If we would’ve maintained an American operating base, U.S. Citizens would have had more disposable income to purchase U.S. goods Made-in-America because we can afford to.

I don’t see Taiwan spending 3x as much for the same U.S. solar panel they can get from China for the price of three – Or any other country for that matter!

At the end of the day, “Free Enterprise” is just like International Law. Our Government can’t tell Corporations how to operate, or where to offshore business – But maybe we should start.

Until Corporations reinvest in American prosperity, the United States will always struggle with a trade imbalance that leaves us in debited to other nations.

Cachae A. Thomas

Independent author of Red White and Poor, How Outsourcing has Racially Divided America – Available in paperback on Amazon.com and Digital Download at Red-White-Poor.com

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There have been many stories written about America’s Economic decline and the financial impact it has had on our lives during the past six years…

This story reflects upon the beginning – How the first [real] financial “crisis” of the 1970s set the stage for everything happening today and why.

Discussing race today has become our dirty little topic. People are still a bit sensitive, easily offended, and often avoid talking about the taboos swirling around this difficult subject… I want to enlighten people on why Race today “still” matters… And “why” it shouldn’t.

When I first started writing about race as a topic, my conscious was wracked with guilt! I didn’t want to be responsible for “increased” racial tensions by making race relations “worse” – The same way Martin Luther King insisted upon “Non-Violent” change to sway the hearts and minds of America 50 years ago.

I want people to understand how our own Government manipulated our quality of life to benefit the top 5% of the most wealthy, powerful people in the U.S. to cause the current economic, fiscal suffering we’re all experiencing today.

I was watching a segment of CNN one afternoon after the turn of the Millennium and a woman called in to say when she called her bank, someone in a third-world country with a very heavy accent had access her personal Bank Account!

She wanted to know why a total stranger (foreigner), had access to her U.S. private account details!? The CNN newscaster went on defend India as an indigenous population of educated, degreed people who are excellent at providing top-notch customer service!

While that response didn’t answer her question nor satisfy the caller’s inquiry, the news team went on to commend corporations that “Outsource” and the benefits associated with the level of customer service they provide. Since then, America has seen an influx of jobs disappear from our shores. History has dictated that it has always been the “American Way” [to exploit third-world labor] only this time, it has all but destroyed our American way of life!

It becomes [real easy] to publically debase American workers to Congress no less, making a public appeal as to why we must move forward and recruit “The Best and the Brightest” overseas… Or, was this the plot to exploit cheap labor as the Global replacement for “all” American Workers?

This country should be completely devoid of Poverty – Let alone having more than ⅓ of its citizens receiving some form of Government assistance. And while statistics suggest almost 48-Million Americans are living in poverty, I believe that number is closer to 100-Million as “All” Working-Class people are the new Poverty-Stricken-Class of people who can’t afford to live in the U.S., living paycheck-to-paycheck, and are one check away from homelessness if they lose their job!

The rise in Mental Illness becomes the “by-product” of Poverty and Homelessness, not the other way around. You’d lose your mind too if you’ve lost everything due to Unemployment! Hunger and Homelessness should “Not” be Made in America!

Now I am in awe, surprised and disgusted at the sight of how many White Men are Homeless in and around NYC Penn Station thoroughfare as a result of this economic downturn. And this has absolutely nothing to do with drug abuse. These men are obviously former corporate working-class people who’ve lost their livelihood and their family, and you’d like me to believe Outsourcing is Not the cause?

The world economy has grown more than 55 times during the last 50 years, and while the United States may be the wealthiest country on the planet, we have the widest income gap between Rich and Poor – More than that of any other industrialized nation on earth! Since 1980, the income for the richest 10% of the worlds’ population has continually risen, while the poorest 90% of the world’s earnings has steadily fallen.

How long do U.S. Corporations expect us to keep this up? Today’s society is stressed out over struggle, creating more “Anarchy” than ever before. Salaries are not keeping up with life, but I’m told to be hopeful? So what happens when you crush someone’s Hope? Subtle manipulation of our Economy through “Hyper-Inflation” and income instability, have affected the Financial Dynamics of the United States to create unnecessary Chaos among its citizens.

Now White folks are losing everything they’ve ever worked for with a “Colonization” of the newly Homeless – Demonstrated through various [“Community Encampments”] of make-shift homes set up outside since no one has a job to pay the high cost of Rent!

This problem has been around for “years” now that [all] of America is smacked in the middle of this horrific financial disaster…

We are ALL Poor!

Learn more about how Deregulation of the U.S. Dollar during the 1970s caused American Economic Suffering and how Minimum Wage no longer pays the rent in any Metropolitan U.S. City!

I wrote this in response to Compliancex-Blog [above] concerning this subject, and have thought it only fair to display another opinion about this topic…

The difference between me and everyone else applying for a job is, I don’t have to spend that much time “tweaking” my resume to match the requirement because I already qualify.

I already have a highly adaptable skillset that most people would kill for – As an English Major, I have a command of language and ease of writing. Typing is just the icing on the cake! I’ve done well to have kept myself employed, as both a Consultant and a Temp… Until now.

My prior technology skills, work experience, and solid financial background garner me interviews… countless interviews. So what am I doing wrong? Nothing. Am I personable? Yes. Otherwise, how did I convince all those other people to like me enough to hire “me” before? Your resume just gets your foot in the door.

People have to “like” you AND want to work with You! Suddenly, with all this work experience I’m “over-qualified” a term I never thought I’d hear in my Career! I learnt, early on, that a job interview is 50% personality, 30% likeability and just 20% resume! That’s right, 20% in 10 seconds.

I make sure every resume speaks to the job requirement – That top ¼ to ½ of the first page must say, “What do you bring to the table that I’m looking for.”

And yes, there is a trick. If you have “Escalated” problems and the job description says “Mitigated” problems you have to change it to what [they] say. You can’t just assume they’ll translate [your] resume to qualify for what [they] want.

I get it. Today’s job market truly is a Word Game! The more words that correspond to the job, the more likely you will get called for an interview.

Case in point:
I recently re-wrote a resume for a woman who had both Medical Billing and Financial Administrative work experience on her resume. I created two separate “focused” resumes. I utilized sentences from her work history and I tailored [each] to the respective job market.

A few weeks later I asked her for some feedback. She said, after months of trying and trying and submitting her resume, she never got an interview – until now! She was thankful for her new resume(s) in a professional manner for only $50 – Not the $150 some other sites charge for the same quality work! I wrote two resumes that adequately reflected her work experience, without fudging the facts.

She believed each resume represented “exactly” what she was looking for in a job, and was happy to have landed her next position. I’ve never lied on my resume, or on anyone else’s.

I think there is a writing sophistication HR recruiters are looking for that “Flag” you as interview material – Not just your work history!

So what’s my excuse?
I have gone on more than 20 face-to-face interviews and countless telephone screens… My problem is, with the precariousness of the job market, nobody wants to hire someone “truly” qualified that may pose a threat to their position, despite when I say [and insist] that I only want to be part of the “team” and can contribute my knowledge and experience to the project.

They can’t say I’m Not Qualified since they’ll have to explain why?

I have been “excused” out of jobs before. Like this: We like her skills but we’re looking at another position for her…Tell her: ‘If she receives another job offer, take [that] offer, don’t wait for us.‘

In other words, we know you’ll qualify for (something) else, but WE don’t want you here either! This is truly the New job market. And now there’s a New problem.

Guest workers who have infiltrated Corporate America in key positions can “choose” who they want to work with. If their H1B-Visa is contingent upon their remaining employed in this country, they will get the position before a U.S. Citizen.

I’ve chronicled how Guest Workers now have the power to discriminate against the American-Born worker, as I have witnessed the subtle dismissal of Americans firsthand. I watched tailored resumes written by other [Guest-Workers], fudging the facts to get the job, then, they get to learn on-the-job without any prior experience. They coach and mentor one another for additional support…

I like the “Good Old Days” when Managers did the interviewing and hired Employees based upon “Capability” not “Likability!”

At the end of the day, you get the job…. Only If I like You!

Cachae A. Thomas – Is a freelance Business Analyst Writer and Consultant, as well as Author of the new eBook Red, White, and Poor – How Outsourcing has Economically Divided America – Now available in Digital Download!